Jim opened this edition of Crosstalk with an update regarding the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Treaty.Harry Reid is now saying that this treaty will be brought to the Senate floor for ratification next Tuesday, December 4th.

Jim also presented an update concerning Yousef Nadarkhani, a pastor who was taken captive in Iran because of his Christian beliefs.He was eventually released and at a national conference in London he expressed his gratitude to his supporters who prayed for him during his 3 year imprisonment.

Jim’s guest was Dr. Keith Smith, a board certified anesthesiologist in private practice since 1990. In 1997 he co-founded The Surgery Center of Oklahoma, an outpatient surgery center in Oklahoma City owned by 40 of the top physicians and surgeons in Central Oklahoma.Dr. Smith serves as the medical director, CEO and managing partner while maintaining an active anesthesia practice.He is a member of AAPS, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

This week Dr. Smith issued a press release with an alarming question that makes up the title of this program: Will there be any physicians left to implement health care?What prompted him to right this when America is literally the health care capital of the world?

Dr. Smith feels that as far as revamping health care, the government isn’t going to get it right any more than Argentina, Canada or Britain has.He believes that, “…unless the free market is working, then the necessary price signals are just simply not there to clue the suppliers in about whether they’re surpluses or shortages.”He contends that price controls will be part of the Affordable Care Act and that will lead to shortages.Central planners will get it wrong, prices will be too low and at some point if a doctor believes that the situation is not mutually beneficial they will find something else to do with their time and it may not involve the practicing of medicine.

Will the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) include a payment advisory board?How about the forcing of physicians to take government patients?Will there be an increase in cash-based physician services as doctors leave the current system behind?How might this affect Medicare dependent patients?These are just some of the questions looked at during this vital edition of Crosstalk.

More Information:

To comment on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Treaty, contact the Senate switchboard at 202-224-3121.